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Why Follow Jesus? or Putting God First!!!

Jesus was both humble, authoritative, and very adamant, about there being only one way to reach God, and that there was only one truth. Was He not? "Jesus said unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man comes unto the Father, but by me" -John 14:6, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that enters not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber... Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep. All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them. I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture" -John 10:2-9.

For he that comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those that diligently seek Him (Heb 11:9). Therefore it is God Himself that will not allow you to have your absolute evidence.

Instead, as evidence for us, God offers us this prophecy- "This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be... EVER LEARNING, AND NEVER ABLE TO COME TO THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE TRUTH" -2 Timothy 3:1-7).

"For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent. Where is the wise? where is the scribe? WHERE IS THE DISPUTER OF THIS WORLD? has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe" -1 Corinthians 1:19-21.

"For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God. For... we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness; But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God. Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men. For... God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty" -1 Corinthians 1:18, 23-27.

At this point I assume you would point back to Epicurus's statement of - "If He is neither able nor willing..." etc. Well, God is both willing and able (2 Peter 3:9). It's just that the way of the philosopher is a way He has NOT accepted as a way to reach Him (Col. 2:8). Because you can't reach Him by the works of man. If philosophers were really so wise, they should have realized that by now. My boss used to have a saying posted on his wall that went something like- "Stupidity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results" (paraphrased from a bad memory, author unknown).The point is, maybe you might want to consider trying a different approach. If- attempting to reach the truth through philosophy over and over again ad nauseum (sp?) has not succeeded in obtaining the knowledge of the truth, then- continuing to attempt to obtain the truth through philosophy, and man's wisdom is, according to that saying anyway- stupidity! So you see, God did give man wisdom, it's just that philosophers aren't the ones using it! They may be exercising some form of "intelligence" but they are falling short of applying simple common sense wisdom! You ever hear the joke about the cop who asked the drunk where he lived, and the drunk thought about it for a while and finally said- you can't get there from here? That's how foolish philosophers look to God according to the above scriptures. If they'd sober up from their pride, maybe they'd be able to see more clearly-

"Wherefore he says, God resists the proud, but gives grace unto the humble. Submit yourselves therefore to God... Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you... Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up" -James 4:7-10.

"For..., saith the LORD: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembles at my word" -Isaiah 66:2.

And in the words of the Wonderful Master-

"If ye love me, keep my commandments. And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of truth..." -John 14:15-17.

"When he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he WILL guide you into ALL TRUTH" -John 16:13.

If we consider an analogy, and IF they were in a "perfect" world, Al and Bob wouldn't let Cal just burn himself out serving them, now would they? Because they would be looking out for Cal's best interest. So who builds them up? Why Cal does, and everybody else of course, because he isn't looking out for himself either, he's looking out for them. Nor would Cal allow himself to be burnt out and used up because he would be limiting his ability to contribute. Also, if he had no "healthy self respect" I don't think he'd feel he had anything to offer.

But we aren't living in a "perfect" world where everybody looks out for everybody else all the time, are we? So it is therefore important in this world to be temperant in giving of ourselves, and looking out for ourselves. Otherwise we will be quickly swallowed up by our adversaries, and then what have we to offer, or what good have we done? (In fact this is what I think Jesus was referring to, when- "He said unto them, When I sent you without purse, and scrip, and shoes, lacked ye any thing? And they said, Nothing. Then said he unto them, But now, he that hath a purse, let him take it, and likewise his scrip: and HE THAT HATH NO SWORD, LET HIM SELL HIS GARMENT, AND BUY ONE" -Luke 22:35-36. Hmm, a command from Jesus, our humble, Wonderful Master to arm ourselves!?! Because there are foolishly evil people in this world, doesn't mean we should allow them to have a completely free reign to trample over us. Jesus must have been at least a little interested in self-defense, if not, why did His apostles still carry swords after being with Him for 3-1/2 years- "And, behold, one of them which were with Jesus stretched out his hand, and drew his sword, and struck a servant of the high priest's, and smote off his ear" -Matthew 26:51. Jesus did not at all condone initiating an attack on people. But he obviously did not totally reject self-protection. I think you asked, would I have a gun? Well, considering my belief on these scriptures, and the laws in America allowing weapons, would you like to try entering my house late at night and threatening my family and finding out? I don't think so. So maybe there is some benefits to self-protection. But not if you believe in a "completely altruistic" society in this world, or have "something of a martyr complex". Common sense, isn't it?)

In summary then, I believe that we should live by putting things in priorities in an order to the reverse of the perspective of the world. Which is-

1) To love (prefer) God first, "And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. He that says, I know him, and keeps not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoso keeps his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him" -1 John 2:3-5.

2) To love others as ourselves- "Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others" -Phil 2:4, "Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another" -Romans 12:10.

3) To love ourselves. ("For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourishes and cherishes it" -Ephesians 5:29). Therefore, Jesus wouldn't have to make a third commandment out of this one. Yet God did address the issue, when He said- "If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are" -1 Corinthians 3:17.

I won't start with it here, but I'm kind of hoping you ask, or want to talk about, or will offer your opinion of, why or why not, God needs to be put first. That is the subject that I think would be appropriate for this topic. Because that is the reason that holding to the truth is so important.

I do definitely hope to appear to be challenging in return to those who say they are "Christians", and are not. Because this is a thing Jesus commends people for- "I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou CAN NOT BEAR THEM which are evil: and thou hast tried them WHICH SAY THEY ARE APOSTLES, and are not, and hast found them liars" -Revelations 2:2. And I do so seek to be commended by my Wonderful Master.

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If I speak to these "Christians" in my own words, it is only my word against theirs. If I speak God's words, then they have to give answer and account to Him about those things, not me. So why are they offended in me if they are secure in their faith before God? Because their faith is built on their opinions, and not on the solid rock of Christ and His truth. And when their faith is come under question, they cannot abide in the brilliant light of the exposure of scripture. But it is better for them to find out now, while there is time to repent, than later when there is not. I am, therefore, since I expect to be continuously ridiculed and flamed, looking out for their best interests ahead of my own.

Furthermore, those who claim to be in accord with His will, ought to at least know what His will is. Another point about showing them the scriptures that contradict their beliefs is so that those outside of the faith such as yourself will know the extent of their errors. For their errors, and errors done in the name of God, are partly responsible for your (and others) disgust, and mistrust of God and His word. That is something they will have to give account for. In fact they are accountable doubly so than yourself. Because they claim to know, and do not, but teach errors. I fall under that same responsibility- If I teach errors, I will be judged double for those errors. But the rewards for teaching the truth are also double (no guts, no glory! :). But no man is to take this upon himself, the scriptures teach.

Believing in Him or not, or believing Him to be one way or another will never change the fact that He is, nor does it change what He is. The faith that I present is not a faith built on wishful thinking, and that is what I wish to expose. My faith is merely the EVIDENCE of things not seen, the substance of things hoped for. And that is why I can be so adamant- because I know the truth, and the truth has set me free. Free from the worry of whether or not my personal opinion will be one day exposed as error, for one thing. (For there is but one truth, and one faith). Not because I feel I am great or am anything at all, nor even the slightest bit wish to appear so, but because He is worthy that has called me.

I am not here to argue the truth, rather to maintain, assert, and defend it as I know it to be (Jude 3). You may take it or leave it as you wish. The consequences of your choice, once you have been told the truth, are your own responsibility. And every one should live by what they know to be true. For to live otherwise would be hypocrisy, would it not? I would love to talk to you about my faith. I have no problem speaking to you, or anyone else, as an equal in regards to your beliefs.

But those that claim, specifically, to be Christians, and claim to believe in the Bible, and continue to preach falsehoods, and think they can go on unchallenged have another think coming in me. For they are neither cold nor hot, Jesus said, and will be spewed out. And they need to be warned of that- for their own good. "The night is far spent, the day is at hand" (Romans 13:12).

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I had mentioned to you that I hadn't cursed since receiving the Holy Ghost. Although before I used to be a regular potty mouth, and tried to stop, but couldn't. You said something to the effect that you quit drinking every year, just to prove you could, and were sure you could quit cussing just as easily, and that you didn't have much of a problem with that anyway. Am I right so far? Well, this is what I was referring to by that train of thought-

"If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body. Behold, we put bits in the horses' mouths, that they may obey us; and we turn about their whole body... Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasts great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindles! And the tongue is a fire, A WORLD OF INIQUITY: SO IS THE TONGUE AMONG OUR MEMBERS, that it defiles the whole body... For every kind of beasts... is tamed, and has been tamed of mankind: But THE TONGUE CAN NO MAN TAME; IT IS AN UNRULY EVIL, full of deadly poison. Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God. Out of the same mouth proceeds blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be. Does a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter? Can the fig tree, my brethren, bear olive berries? either a vine, figs? so can no fountain both yield salt water and fresh" -James 3:2-12.

Now this isn't to say that the tongue can't be brought under control through the Spirit of God, for- "if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him: Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dies no more; death hath no more dominion over him. For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God. Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. NEITHER YIELD YE YOUR MEMBERS AS INSTRUMENTS OF UNRIGHTEOUSNESS UNTO SIN: BUT YIELD YOURSELVES UNTO GOD, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God" -Romans 6:8-13. This must include the tongue, that most unruly member.

In fact, those who claim to be Christians, and can't control their tongue would be wise to reexamine their faith, because- "If any man among you SEEM to be religious, and bridles NOT his tongue, but deceives his own heart, THIS MAN'S RELIGION IS VAIN" -James 1:26.

Peter applied this concept once in an attempt to show he wasn't Christ's- "Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, That this night, before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. Peter said unto him, Though I should die with thee, yet will I not deny thee. Likewise also said all the disciples" -Matthew 26:34-35.

So how did Peter attempt to "prove" he wasn't a follower of Christ?

"Now Peter sat without in the palace: and a damsel came unto him, saying, Thou also was with Jesus of Galilee. But he denied before them all, saying, I know not what thou sayest. And when he was gone out into the porch, another maid saw him, and said unto them that were there, This fellow was also with Jesus of Nazareth. And again he denied with an oath, I do not know the man. And after a while came unto him they that stood by, and said to Peter, Surely thou also art one of them; for thy speech (betrays) thee. THEN BEGAN HE TO CURSE AND TO SWEAR, SAYING, I KNOW NOT THE MAN. And immediately the cock crew. And Peter remembered the word of Jesus, which said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. And he went out, and wept bitterly" -Matthew 26:69-75.

So you see, scripturally speaking, there's a little bit more to cussing than my being overly-sensitive. I do believe in writing with power, sometimes even shockingly, as evidenced by my style. But I don't think resorting to profanity is necessary. In fact I see it, by these scriptures, as an evidence of a spiritual condition, for Jesus said- "Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit. O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things. But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned" -Matthew 12:33-37 & Luke 6:45.

However, I will allow that the words that are called "profanity" very often have their place depending on what and where they are used. For example, it's perfectly appropriate for a dog breeder to call a female dog "bitch". It is totally inappropriate, and is offensive "filthy communication", to apply that same term in speaking with people of a certain gender. People who can't control the language they use, are evidently not under control of the Spirit.